Canadian Dollar is higher than US... US deals count now. - Blu-ray Forum

TheZoof · 10-13-2009, 01:23 PM

Hey all!

I am not one to look at the US dollar comparison often but it seems this morning we are approaching a higher dollar.

Time to start loading up on those great deals!!!

I think by Wed we should be higher by quite a bit if trends continue.

Johnny Vinyl · 10-13-2009, 01:26 PM

Cool! The good times back! Times for a visit to my fave internet retailers!

John

Jimbo976 · 10-13-2009, 01:36 PM

The good times back to some degree yes but the Import Deposit Fee from amazon.com ruins some of it. Plus the prices in Canada have gotten a lot better since the last time the dollar was at par.

I'll certainly start considering amazon.com again for sure.

Steve46 · 10-13-2009, 01:51 PM

This might open up some of the other US retailers. They don't all have the import deposit fee and the minimum $8 charge like Amazon. Some of them even send goods as a "gift" to help people out with possible import duty.

Jimbo976 · 10-13-2009, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve46

This might open up some of the other US retailers. They don't all have the import deposit fee and the minimum $8 charge like Amazon. Some of them even send goods as a "gift" to help people out with possible import duty.

Yeah I agree. I was always concerned before with hit and miss duty charges and taxes from other vendors. With amazon.com it was always guaranteed to get neither of these.

Maybe we can try to group together experiences on here related to taxes/duty from other places.

Does anyone have recent experiences will some places for Blu-rays to Canada?

Some places I can think of:

http://www.jr.com/
http://www.deepdiscount.com/
http://www.tower.com/

Steve46 · 10-13-2009, 02:03 PM

I might order The Prisoner as it is around $50 in the US and $90 here. I can't believe they issued this on blu. It was my favourite series as a kid. Some of it looks extremely dated in terms of clothes, but many of the stories have incredible depth.

Hammer Into Anvil has such a good plot. McGoohan would have made a better Bond than Roger Moore.

mintchris · 10-13-2009, 02:42 PM

I ordered from Amazon.com a few weeks ago and was amazed at how fast it got here. I will be watching the Black Friday deals closely now that our dollar is so strong.
I think the other option for those people within a reasonable distance to the states is to drive down and check out some of the deals. You would be amazed at the cheap prices just from the US Best Buys and Wal Marts.
But yeah Amazon Black Friday is where its at in a month!!!

holycowers · 10-13-2009, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mintchris

I ordered from Amazon.com a few weeks ago and was amazed at how fast it got here. I will be watching the Black Friday deals closely now that our dollar is so strong.
I think the other option for those people within a reasonable distance to the states is to drive down and check out some of the deals. You would be amazed at the cheap prices just from the US Best Buys and Wal Marts.
But yeah Amazon Black Friday is where its at in a month!!!

did they charge you any sales tax?

im trying to buy terminator scc s2 and it comes up to

Items: $42.49
Shipping & Handling: $7.98
Promotion Applied: -$0.00

Total Before Tax: $50.47
Estimated Tax:* $0.00
Import Fees Deposit $5.63

Order Total: $56.10

if theres no tax im going to return the one i bought from walmart for 64.83+tax

thanks

mintchris · 10-13-2009, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holycowers

did they charge you any sales tax?

im trying to buy terminator scc s2 and it comes up to

Items: $42.49
Shipping & Handling: $7.98
Promotion Applied: -$0.00

Total Before Tax: $50.47
Estimated Tax:* $0.00
Import Fees Deposit $5.63

Order Total: $56.10

if theres no tax im going to return the one i bought from walmart for 64.83+tax

thanks

No sales tax at all. They just dropped my package off and that was that. I will definitely be ordering from Amazon again.

Jimbo976 · 10-13-2009, 03:22 PM

You will not have to pay any taxes or duties on delivery from amazon.com.

The Import Deposit Fee usually roughly works out to about the same as taxes (GST+PST or around 13%).

It isn't totally clear what the fee is for and who it goes to but I look at as either: 1) money that DHL gives to the government in canada to cover taxes or 2) money that DHL collects for customs brokerage services. Either way there doesn't seem to be any way around it other than it doesn't seem to apply to orders under $20 US. Of course on orders under $20 US you have to pay amazon.com their $8 US shipping fee for the 1st item so that usually kills any real savings.

The main thing with amazon.com is you now up front exactly what the total charges will be (in US dollars at least).

TheZoof · 10-13-2009, 03:22 PM

The duty fees paid are tax. Amazon.com can't charge you tax only when crossing the border can tax be applied.

The only shipment from USA that I had to pay tax/duty was my tv and it is just the same as normal taxes 13%.

So really as long as the price is cheaper than Canada price then you should always be ahead(shipping is the only thing to watch).

Jimbo976 · 10-13-2009, 03:41 PM

Yeah we had it super nice before that fee since there was just the US price + shipping ($8 US for 1 item and $3 US per extra item) and we were scamming the government out of their taxes.

Now we've come back down to reality a little and we also have to pay the equivalent of local taxes. On the plus side we know up front the total costs rather than being surprised at the door.

With the dollar near par the deals are still going to be better than buying in Canada on many items - especially on the really crazy deals that amazon.com offers from time to time.

My order for Lost seasons 1-5 from amazon.com is looking pretty sweet these days even with the import deposit fee..

Code:

1 of: Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-5 [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray]
By: Matthew Fox
Condition: New
Sold by: Amazon Export Sales, Inc.
	$144.99

Item(s) Subtotal: 	$144.99
Shipping & Handling: 	$7.98
  	-----
Total Before Tax: 	$152.97
Estimated Tax: 	$0.00
Import Fees Deposit 	$17.93

Grand Total:  	$170.90

At today's exchange that would be something like $181 Cdn. total to my door.

thecardman23 · 10-13-2009, 04:16 PM

i wish i lived in the US for the simply reason that amazon prices are unbeatable! sucks we have to add shipping and import duties to it here. thats a min 8 price increase

underoath · 10-13-2009, 05:04 PM

Yup, I just placed an order from amazon.com myself. If you are like me and wish to buy mostly independent films or blue-underground, you kinda have to pony up for the import fees or end up paying roughly $30 + tax in Canada.

1 of: Freddy vs. Jason [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray]
$11.49

1 of: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray]
$9.99

1 of: Two Evil Eyes [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray]
$14.99

1 of: The Original Faces of Death: 30th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray] [
$13.99

1 of: Plague Town [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray]
$11.99

Grand Total: $91.19 (in Canadian dollars: roughly $94)

_____

Compare that to amazon.ca for example: $137.76 w/ tax

Don't forget we get covers that feature English only text

Jimbo976 · 10-13-2009, 05:12 PM

This really is about Canadian Hot Deals and not "Off Topic Discusion". Why was it moved?

Grumpz · 10-13-2009, 05:16 PM

I sure like living 2 hrs from Grand Forks. Xmas shopping here we come!

Even thought the deals aren't like they used to be.

Jellybeans · 10-13-2009, 05:22 PM

It's a good time to go to the States and start shopping!

Beta Man · 10-13-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo976

This really is about Canadian Hot Deals and not "Off Topic Discusion". Why was it moved?

I didn't move it, but I'm guessing the fact that your buying power is increasing doesn't really have anything to do with any particular "Hot Deal"

A tax return will give you more buying power, but it's also "Off-Topic"

jw · 10-13-2009, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beta Man

I didn't move it, but I'm guessing the fact that your buying power is increasing doesn't really have anything to do with any particular "Hot Deal"

A tax return will give you more buying power, but it's also "Off-Topic"

well said

bajor27 · 10-13-2009, 06:03 PM

Just a note to everyone complaining about the import fee that amazon charges.

About a month ago I received an email from Amazon detailing a partial refund on an import fee I'd paid on my Lost Season 1 & 2 order.

Was kind of a nice surprise.

10-13-2009, 01:23 PM	#1
TheZoof Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Ottawa,Canada Home Theater Gallery:27 4K collection:850 Blu-ray collection:1636 DVD collection:10 Blu-ray reviews: 38 Trading Score:2	Canadian Dollar is higher than US... US deals count now. Hey all! I am not one to look at the US dollar comparison often but it seems this morning we are approaching a higher dollar. Time to start loading up on those great deals!!! I think by Wed we should be higher by quite a bit if trends continue. Last edited by TheZoof; 10-13-2009 at 01:33 PM.

10-13-2009, 03:41 PM	#12
Jimbo976 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Canada Home Theater Gallery:3 Blu-ray collection:209 Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:1	Yeah we had it super nice before that fee since there was just the US price + shipping ($8 US for 1 item and $3 US per extra item) and we were scamming the government out of their taxes. Now we've come back down to reality a little and we also have to pay the equivalent of local taxes. On the plus side we know up front the total costs rather than being surprised at the door. With the dollar near par the deals are still going to be better than buying in Canada on many items - especially on the really crazy deals that amazon.com offers from time to time. My order for Lost seasons 1-5 from amazon.com is looking pretty sweet these days even with the import deposit fee.. Code: 1 of: Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-5 [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray] By: Matthew Fox Condition: New Sold by: Amazon Export Sales, Inc. $144.99 Item(s) Subtotal: $144.99 Shipping & Handling: $7.98 ----- Total Before Tax: $152.97 Estimated Tax: $0.00 Import Fees Deposit $17.93 Grand Total: $170.90 At today's exchange that would be something like $181 Cdn. total to my door.

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10-13-2009, 01:26 PM	#2
Johnny Vinyl Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:At the crossroad of Analogue Dr & 2CH Ave Home Theater Gallery:19 Blu-ray collection:205 DVD collection:7 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:8	Cool! The good times back! Times for a visit to my fave internet retailers! John

10-13-2009, 01:36 PM	#3
Jimbo976 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Canada Home Theater Gallery:3 Blu-ray collection:209 Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:1	The good times back to some degree yes but the Import Deposit Fee from amazon.com ruins some of it. Plus the prices in Canada have gotten a lot better since the last time the dollar was at par. I'll certainly start considering amazon.com again for sure.

10-13-2009, 01:51 PM	#4
Steve46 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Oshawa, ON 4K collection:156 Blu-ray collection:1040 Blu-ray reviews: 79 Trading Score:16	This might open up some of the other US retailers. They don't all have the import deposit fee and the minimum $8 charge like Amazon. Some of them even send goods as a "gift" to help people out with possible import duty.

10-13-2009, 02:03 PM	#6
Steve46 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Oshawa, ON 4K collection:156 Blu-ray collection:1040 Blu-ray reviews: 79 Trading Score:16	I might order The Prisoner as it is around $50 in the US and $90 here. I can't believe they issued this on blu. It was my favourite series as a kid. Some of it looks extremely dated in terms of clothes, but many of the stories have incredible depth. Hammer Into Anvil has such a good plot. McGoohan would have made a better Bond than Roger Moore.

10-13-2009, 02:42 PM	#7
mintchris Senior Member Member since:Sep 2008 Location:London, Ontario Blu-ray collection:333	I ordered from Amazon.com a few weeks ago and was amazed at how fast it got here. I will be watching the Black Friday deals closely now that our dollar is so strong. I think the other option for those people within a reasonable distance to the states is to drive down and check out some of the deals. You would be amazed at the cheap prices just from the US Best Buys and Wal Marts. But yeah Amazon Black Friday is where its at in a month!!!

10-13-2009, 03:22 PM	#10
Jimbo976 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Canada Home Theater Gallery:3 Blu-ray collection:209 Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:1	You will not have to pay any taxes or duties on delivery from amazon.com. The Import Deposit Fee usually roughly works out to about the same as taxes (GST+PST or around 13%). It isn't totally clear what the fee is for and who it goes to but I look at as either: 1) money that DHL gives to the government in canada to cover taxes or 2) money that DHL collects for customs brokerage services. Either way there doesn't seem to be any way around it other than it doesn't seem to apply to orders under $20 US. Of course on orders under $20 US you have to pay amazon.com their $8 US shipping fee for the 1st item so that usually kills any real savings. The main thing with amazon.com is you now up front exactly what the total charges will be (in US dollars at least).

10-13-2009, 04:16 PM	#13
thecardman23 Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jul 2008 Location:Toronto, Canada Home Theater Gallery:8 4K collection:9 Blu-ray collection:1787 Blu-ray reviews:34 Trading Score:239	i wish i lived in the US for the simply reason that amazon prices are unbeatable! sucks we have to add shipping and import duties to it here. thats a min 8 price increase

10-13-2009, 05:04 PM	#14
underoath Active Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Stouffville, Ontario, Canada Home Theater Gallery:68 Blu-ray collection:618	Yup, I just placed an order from amazon.com myself. If you are like me and wish to buy mostly independent films or blue-underground, you kinda have to pony up for the import fees or end up paying roughly $30 + tax in Canada. 1 of: Freddy vs. Jason [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray] $11.49 1 of: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray] $9.99 1 of: Two Evil Eyes [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray] $14.99 1 of: The Original Faces of Death: 30th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray] [ $13.99 1 of: Plague Town [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray] $11.99 Grand Total: $91.19 (in Canadian dollars: roughly $94) _____ Compare that to amazon.ca for example: $137.76 w/ tax Don't forget we get covers that feature English only text

10-13-2009, 05:12 PM	#15
Jimbo976 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Canada Home Theater Gallery:3 Blu-ray collection:209 Blu-ray reviews: 1 Trading Score:1	This really is about Canadian Hot Deals and not "Off Topic Discusion". Why was it moved?

10-13-2009, 05:16 PM	#16
Grumpz Blu-ray Guru Member since:Mar 2009 Location:Winnipeg, MB Blu-ray collection:22	I sure like living 2 hrs from Grand Forks. Xmas shopping here we come! Even thought the deals aren't like they used to be.

10-13-2009, 05:22 PM	#17
Jellybeans Banned Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Montreal, Canada Blu-ray collection:140 Trading Score:1	It's a good time to go to the States and start shopping!

10-13-2009, 06:03 PM	#20
bajor27 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Nov 2007 Location:BC, Canada Blu-ray collection:1031 DVD collection:2 Trading Score:5	Just a note to everyone complaining about the import fee that amazon charges. About a month ago I received an email from Amazon detailing a partial refund on an import fee I'd paid on my Lost Season 1 & 2 order. Was kind of a nice surprise.

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